Safety deposit boxes?

[AndyMcK]

More dumb questions from AndyMc:

OK, I'm bringing a wad of cash to Europe with me because I have no credit or bank accounts and someone suggested I leave portions of it in one or more safety deposit boxes around the continent.
Does anyone have experience with this? How much does a safety deposit box usually cost and is it as easy as just walking in and renting a box and walking out? Are some places better than others, etc?

-thanx-

[beergal]

Can i just ask why you dont have a bank account? Most of them are pretty easy to rent. Personally if you dont have one it might be worth considering using travellers cheques or using the american express travellers visa debit card. Basically you top up the visa debit card and you can withdraw money out of an atm. I think this would be much easier than using safety deposit boxes

[AndyMcK]

Originally posted by beergal@Jul 21 2006, 08:12 PM
Can i just ask why you dont have a bank account? Most of them are pretty easy to rent. Personally if you dont have one it might be worth considering using travellers cheques or using the american express travellers visa debit card. Basically you top up the visa debit card and you can withdraw money out of an atm. I think this would be much easier than using safety deposit boxes

[snapback]131905[/snapback]

I don't have a bank account bc I owe the US govt money and I wouldn't want them seizing it out of my account. As for the travellers visa debit card, it sounds like a great idea but I asked around and I can't find anyplace that you can get such a thing. Where do you get them???
(If all else fails, I guess I'll get trav checks, but it will suck taking them to Eastern Europe as I hear it's very difficult & expensive to cash them in there.)

[xanthuos]

Originally posted by AndyMcK@Jul 22 2006, 12:55 AM
I don't have a bank account bc I owe the US govt money and I wouldn't want them seizing it out of my account. As for the travellers visa debit card, it sounds like a great idea but I asked around and I can't find anyplace that you can get such a thing. Where do you get them???
(If all else fails, I guess I'll get trav checks, but it will suck taking them to Eastern Europe as I hear it's very difficult & expensive to cash them in there.)

[snapback]131954[/snapback]

Well I responded to your other topic, recommending you get Traveler's Cheques...but if you really don't want to because you think it'll be too difficult to cash them in Eastern Europe, here you go... American Express Traveler's Cheque Card...and Visa TravelMoney Card.

Google is your friend.

[AndyMcK]

Thanx for the links, Xanthous.
But I've encountered some problems and I'm getting on the plane to London tomorrow afternoon so I'm really getting worried now.

First, the Visa Travel Money card is only available through AAA locations in my area and they only sell it to existing AAA members. WTF?!?!

Then, the AmEx Trav Cheque Card barely lists any Eastern Europe countries that it's usable in:
http://www10.americanexpress.com/sif/cda/p...41,21299,00.asp

Does anyone know of any similar options that would be accesible to me and easy to use in Eastern Europe?

[xanthuos]

Originally posted by AndyMcK@Jul 23 2006, 10:43 PM
Thanx for the links, Xanthous.
But I've encountered some problems and I'm getting on the plane to London tomorrow afternoon so I'm really getting worried now.

First, the Visa Travel Money card is only available through AAA locations in my area and they only sell it to existing AAA members. WTF?!?!

Then, the AmEx Trav Cheque Card barely lists any Eastern Europe countries that it's usable in:
http://www10.americanexpress.com/sif/cda/p...41,21299,00.asp

Does anyone know of any similar options that would be accesible to me and easy to use in Eastern Europe?

[snapback]132094[/snapback]

Uhh...well, considering that list compares the AmEx CARD with AmEx Traveler's CHEQUES...and "1st Choice" is given for several Eastern European countries for Traveler's CHEQUES...then to me, it seems the answer to your question is...

<drum roll>

Traveler's Cheques.